I Stand Alone
by AndiKaneUnderwood
Summary: Betty's entire world crumbled in one phone call.


I Stand Alone

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

AU: Alpha/Beta/Omega

Everything is the same except Veronica and Betty are dating and Archie and Jughead are dating. I've been watching season 2 of Riverdale and episode 5 hit me hard. So, character study (I guess) of Betty and her decisions.

 _Veronica Lodge: Alpha_

 _Archie Andrews: Alpha_

 _Betty"Cooper: Omega_

 _Jughead Jones: Omega_

Betty's entire world crumbled in one phone call. The Black Hood demanded that she comply with his orders. Otherwise Polly, Ronnie, Jughead, Archie, Kevin, and her parents? Every one of them would die if she didn't do as the Black Hood asked of her. So when he called her as she got ready for bed and demanded she cut ties to her friends, to her Mate, her immediate reaction was fear. _Don't make me do this,_ she'd pleaded.

 _You have until tomorrow night, or he dies._ was the Black Hood's response.

So she lied to Archie, she lied to Jughead, she unleashed Hell on Veronica. She couldn't let them get hurt because of her, she'd sooner slit her own throat as Miss Grundy's had been.

Betty pushed Veronica away, saying awful things that she didn't believe, things that hurt just as much to _say_ as they did to _hear_. Betty felt the anger and pain from the Bond right before it was locked away behind a wall Veronica put up. _Why don't you leave then?_

So Betty did. She left Veronica's house knowing she'd not be welcomed back. She successfully pushed Veronica out of the line of fire; got hit by the bullet herself to save her. Betty sat down at a bus stop and cried, wanted nothing but her Alpha's comforting presence, her forgiveness, and her love, but knowing she couldn't have it. Betty heard the shitty ring tone she'd programmed to play when the inhumane killer called and held back a fresh wave of as she answered the phone. _I did it._

She listened to his next words with rage and pain in her heart. He told her to cut ties to Jughead next and everything in her collapsed for a second time. _No._ she pleaded.

 _Cut him out of your life, or I'll do it for you._

What her friends' sins where she wasn't entirely sure. Veronica, she knew was the daughter of a man who'd been on trial for embezzlement and fraud, but what did that have to do with Ronnie? The only other thing was premarital and underage sex. Jughead, she guessed, was in a gang and engaged in underage and premarital sex, but then so did she so why was it such a big deal? Archie could legally be stuck with a rap of adultery, but Miss Grundy had manipulated him, so it wasn't completely his fault, and also engaged in premarital and underage sex *****.

Why was this happening to Betty? Why did it have to be _her_? Why did the Black Hood want her to be miserable and unhappy and possibly end up sick? Why was this happening? Betty had so many questions but not a single one could be answered unless she did as the Black Hood asked and hurt both herself and those she loved more than anything. She'd never let her loved ones be put in danger because of her, so she pushed Jughead away too. She thought about doing the same to Jughead as she did to Veronica, but that would break Jughead down to nothing and she just couldn't.

Betty begged Archie to tell Jughead that he needed to stay away from Betty. She begged Archie to keep it quiet. She told Archie that she'd repair all the damage she'd done to the bridges. Betty _had_ to believe she could repair it.

When Jughead texted her, asking why, and begging for answers she couldn't give him, Betty sobbed harder; flipping her phone over and burying her face in her hands. She knew Archie and Kevin were next, so she texted them both to inform them that she needed time to herself, not to contact her for any reason, that she was fine and that she'd text them when she was ready.

Kevin texted back, an offer of support if it was needed and a hope that she would be able to work through whatever was hurting her soon. That he'd miss her, that he was always there for her, and to text him whenever so they could go out for ice cream when this was all over. Archie texted back to tell her that he was worried about Betty and wished she wouldn't do this, but he supported Betty in everything and he'd be here when the Black Hood was gone. Archie told Betty to stay safe and to have courage and to be strong and to never stop fighting and to remember that no matter what happened the Black Hood was nothing more than an abusive, cruel, cowardly creature.

Betty put her phone down and cried. The next morning she woke up, put her clothes on, brushed her teeth, ate her breakfast, grabbed her cell phone and left the house.

She didn't reach out to Veronica over the Bond to see what he was doing after school because her Heat was due soon and she wanted to make sure their Nest was perfect. She didn't message Jughead to offer her support of going through the trials, to tell him she thought he was brave for doing this, and _don't you ever give up._ She didn't text Archie to see he could walk with her to school because she hated going by herself. She didn't check her phone for any new messages from Kevin.

Betty steeled her gaze and her nerves, straightened her shoulders, and walked into school with her head held high.

She didn't make eye contact with anyone. She didn't let anyone see the tears in her eyes. She didn't dare crack and break down when people were watching. Betty kept her head high and her back straight and kept going because it was all she had left.

Because in this, she stood _alone_.

 ***Let's just clear one thing up real quick, okay? Premarital and underage sex refers to A) the Core Four being under sixteen (as far as I know) which is the legal age of consent, and B) the fact that Betty and Jughead are Omegas and Veronica and Archie are Alphas and Heat and Rut are both very much a real thing in this story. Veronica and Betty are dating and when Heat and Rut come around they will take care of sexual means of it, because of prolonged avoidance causing Health Concerns, the same deal for Archie and Jughead.**


End file.
